Major offseason questions for the Celtics

Not used to being bounced in the first round of the playoffs, the Celtics saw a disappointing season come to a close Friday night vs. the Knicks. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge (pictured) now faces a long offseason full of questions about his team’s future. One of the team’s key players is recovering from a serious injury; two others are past their prime and may not return for another run. The Celtics are already over the salary cap but can free up space by moving some of the players currently on the roster. In which directions should they go? Take a look through some of the team’s key questions and voice your input.

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Will Rajon Rondo be healthy?

If it wasn’t clear the Celtics missed Rondo after he first went down with an ACL injury, it’s been painfully clear in the playoffs. The Celtics missed their point guard; they couldn’t score, couldn’t set up a halfcourt offense, couldn’t beat pressure. The Celtics hope Rondo will be ready to start next season, and his health is a major key. There’s always been some question as to whether or not the Celtics can build a team around Rondo. It clear the Celtics need him, but that question has yet to be answered. As Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett decline, Rondo’s role becomes even more important.

Or, piling onto the Rondo question, can the Celtics build a team around Rondo and Green? Both players are entrenched as starters for the foreseeable future. Green turned up his scoring during the playoffs, averaging 20.3 points after averaging 12.8 points during the regular season. When asked to be the primary scorer during the regular season, Green seemed to embrace the role. Still there are some things to work on. Green took some bad shots against the Knicks and did not handle pressure well. He’ll need to get better at passing out of double-teams.

We really don’t know what’s going to happen with Pierce this offseason. Pierce has a team option on his contract at $15.3 million, with a $5 million buyout before June 30. As Gary Washburn wrote Sunday, even if the Celtics buy Pierce out, they will still be over the luxury tax. That would suggest Pierce stays to begin the season. If the Celtics truly build around Green, will Pierce be happy with reduced minutes? Would he come off the bench? After Friday night’s game, Pierce said it was up to Ainge and the team to decide what they wanted to do with him.

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AP

Will Avery Bradley blossom without having to play point guard?

It’s unfair to say the playoffs exposed Bradley, because we knew going into them that he was playing out of position at point guard. Still, he didn’t look good doing it, turning the ball 11 times while recording just eight assists. Bradley plays inspired defense at times (he looked positively possessed during the Celtics’ failed comeback in Game 6), and he has a knack for cutting to the basket for easy looks. He’ll be better next to Rondo next season, but can he make the leap to something special?

Buying out Pierce would give the Celtics <em>some </em> flexibility by moving them closer to the cap, but they’d still be over. As it stands for next season, the Celtics have 12 players on the books for a combined $73 million. Courtney Lee and Jason Terry will make $10.5 million between them. Trading someone like Lee, Terry, or Brandon Bass would be a place to start. The Celtics will get matching salaries back, but they could also acquire younger, unproven players or picks. Contending teams may have an interest in the Celtics’ veterans for that additional piece.

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Will Rondo, Pierce, and Garnett all be here by next year’s trade deadline?

The most drastic changes the Celtics could make would involve buying out Pierce or trading Pierce, Rondo, or Garnett. If Pierce is bought out, there’s also a chance Garnett would retire (Garnett has said he won’t play without Pierce, but he’s never been faced with it). Trading Rondo would also come into play if the point guard is healthy and returns to All-Star form next year. At that point he’d be the team’s best player, so trading him would be a major risk. It would also bring back the most in return.

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AP

Will Courtney Lee give them anything?

It’s been a strange season for Lee, who at times has looked like the team’s best off guard and at times has fallen out of the rotation. Lee fell out of favor during the playoffs, but he’s signed for three more seasons at more than $5 million per. It’s that last part that figures to give him another chance, but how much tolerance will Rivers have? Lee’s dogged defense should earn him some minutes if nothing else.

Jason Terry was a letdown in his first season in Boston. Fans expecting a replacement for Ray Allen instead saw a player who had difficulty creating his own shot and couldn’t come off screens and spot up like Allen did so well for so many seasons. Terry had huge Game 4 and 5’s vs. the Knicks to keep the series alive, and he’s signed for two more seasons. Maybe Rondo’s return will help him, just as it figures to help everyone else.

A member of Doc Rivers’ “All-Scare” team, Crawford petrifies both is own coach and the opponent. He’s a born scorer, but he’s also erratic, and the Celtics have him under contract for next season. At this point he joins a crowded backcourt of underachievers. By the end of next season fans could be cursing him, praising him, or alternating between the two on a daily basis.

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Mark J. Terrill

Will Fab Melo show us anything?

I often see Celtics coaches working with Melo before practice, and it’s almost as if they’re trying to break him down before building him back up. The drills are simple, and praise is heaped on Melo when he does something as simple as make an up-fake. That’s a long way of saying Melo is nowhere near NBA ready despite his shot-blocking ability. Will he get there next season? Seems like a longshot.

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